


Protect Them

by MerryLilHobbit



Series: Newt and Tina [30]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Children, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Obscurus, Worry, accidental magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-10-31 20:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10907166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryLilHobbit/pseuds/MerryLilHobbit
Summary: "Sometimes I wonder if we’re doing the right thing, raising children in a world like this."(OR: The past affects the Scamander family in more ways than one)





	1. Obscurial

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know if this is good, it seems kinda sucky to me but I felt like posting it anyway. I might continue this with other parts for the other Scamander children being featured in some way, but we’ll see.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_The swirling black Obscurus screamed and started to dive; for a split second, Newt seemed on the point of death, and he cowered where he was lying on the tracks beneath the dark force. Tina’s heart caught in her throat, and she ran forwards without thinking._

_“PHOENIX, NO!”_

_Inches from her husband’s face, the Obscurus froze. Slowly, very slowly, it rose back up and swirled more gently; it stared at her, and she found herself looking back with undisguised tears in her eyes._

_“Don’t do this – please.”_

_“Keep talking, Tina,” Newt muttered gently. “Keep talking to him – he’ll listen to you, I know he will. He’s listening.”_

_Inside the Obscurus, she could see him – their son, dark-haired and hunched over – reaching out to her; she was his mother, she was supposed to protect him…he was so desperate and afraid…_

_“I’m sorry,” Tina found herself whispering. “I know what they did to you…I know that you’ve suffered…Please, stop this now…Your father and I will protect you.”_

_The Obscurus was starting to shrink, its dreadful face becoming more human – more like her son’s. He was so young, only a little boy…he didn’t deserve to be hurt like this…_

_“That’s it,” She encouraged, and she saw Newt stand carefully; he, too, was watching their son, no anger but instead a protectiveness on his face. “That’s it, Phoenix-”_

_Suddenly Aurors were pouring down the steps into the tunnel, advancing behind her and raising their wands aggressively; Tina spun around quickly, putting herself between them and her son._

_“Shh! Don’t, you’ll frighten him!” She tried to plead._

_Newt wheeled around, spreading his arms as if it might protect Phoenix. “Please, don’t harm him, he’s only a child-”_

_The Obscurus let out a terrible moan and began to swell again; Tina turned back to him, terrified. “Phoenix, please…Phoenix…”_

_But then the Aurors were pelting the Obscurus with spells; she could see Phoenix in the black mass, his boyish freckled face contorted as he screamed – for help, for **someone** to help him…for his parents._

_“NO!” Newt cried fruitlessly. “No, please, you don’t understand-”_

_The Aurors continued to aim their spells, however, their efforts unrelenting and brutal as Phoenix howled in pain. Under this pressure, the Obscurus finally seemed to implode – a white ball of magical light taking over the black mass._

_The force of this change sent everyone – Tina, Newt, the Aurors – stumbling backwards. After a few moments, the power subsided – only small tatters of black matter were left, floating through the air like ruffled feathers._

_Newt was the first to get to his feet, his face racked with deep-felt grief. Tina lifted her head, remaining on the floor as she watched the tatters fall – and then she started to weep, uncontained, at the loss she felt so keenly._

_“Phoenix,” She heard Newt mumble uselessly, looking horrified. “No…”_

* * *

She woke up practically _sobbing_ , shoulders shaking and heart beating like a jackhammer; Newt awoke in seconds at the sound, immediately turning to his wife and wrapping his arms around her.

“Tina? Tina…what was it?”

She could only shake her head, finding it difficult to breathe; it was only a nightmare, she scolded herself, just a stupid dream…

But it wasn’t a dream, not really – it _had_ happened, though with a different boy.

“Tell me, love,” He murmured, cupping her face. “Please, I don’t like seeing you like this; talking might help.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Tina managed to choke, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. “Newt…Phoenix, he’s…he’s alright?”

“Of course,” Newt said, somewhat perplexed. “It’s…well, it’s three in the morning, by the looks of things, so he’s still tucked in bed, I’d wager.”

She gave a gasp, trying to pull herself from him. “I need to see him…I need to make sure he’s okay…”

He didn’t stop her as she slipped from bed and rushed down the hall; instead, he followed after her and into the bedroom that belonged to their eldest son. By the time he had reached the door, his wife was kneeling by the bed – he could see that her shoulders were shaking, more tears flowing freely down her face. Phoenix was still tucked underneath the covers, his dark hair falling onto his face as he dozed on.

“He’s alright,” Newt told her quietly, moving forwards. “See? Fast asleep.”

“Yes,” Tina exhaled, wrapping her arms around herself. “He’s safe…he’s _safe_.”

When he reached her, he put a hand on her shoulder tentatively and hesitated. “Come on, come back to bed and tell me about this dream you’ve had.”

She nodded, somewhat reluctantly, and stood up shakily; she cast a final look at their son, as if unsure that he was really there, and then followed her husband out back into the hallway.

He said nothing as she clambered underneath the covers and sat with her back against the headboard, waiting for her to calm down enough to speak; it would do more harm to push her, and so he simply waited attentively. They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes, the only sound being that of her breathing, until she cleared her throat and shifted to him.

“It was the Obscurus,” Tina sighed, avoiding his eyes.

Newt frowned. “Credence?”

“ _Yes_ , but _not_ Credence…it was…” She swallowed, closing her eyes to stop herself from crying again. “It was exactly like what happened with Credence, but it was _Phoenix_ …he was the Obscurial.”

“Oh, Tina…”

“We tried to protect him, Newt,” She uttered, voice weak. “But we couldn’t…they shot at him, they…they _killed_ him, and we watched-”

He put his arms around her, shaking his head. “No, no, that’s not going to happen, Tina, I promise you. It won’t ever happen to him…”

“I know,” Tina cried, pressing into his side. “But…But sometimes when I see Phoenix, Newt, I think that…that he looks like Credence in some ways…dark hair, brown eyes, and I…I remember Credence, if only for a second…”

He did as well, though he didn’t want to admit it; Phoenix was just like Tina, from his dark hair that stuck up to his wide brown eyes – while most of the time he looked at his son and mused that he looked like his wife, it had struck him on the odd occasion that there was someone else he looked like too. It brought back painful memories that he didn’t want to relive, memories of a cold dark subway and a young man screaming.

“It won’t happen to Phoenix,” Newt stated, almost to himself rather than her. “There’s no chance of it happening because we won’t let it – he would never be forced to suppress his magic, Tina, you know he wouldn’t…and he certainly won’t be beaten either. It won’t happen to _any_ of our children.”

She clung to him in the dark, and he found him clinging back for his own comfort; though he knew that none of their children would develop an Obscurus, never be forced to repress their magic, the very thought itself was frightening. He had seen it twice now for himself – seen what such abuse could do to a child – and it chilled him to the bone.

“It won’t happen to him,” Tina stated hoarsely, trying to reassure herself. “We won’t let it, I know we won’t…but it felt so _real_ , like he was really there…”

“But he wasn’t,” Newt reminded her softly. “He won’t be in that position, and I’m certain of it…he’s got the both of us to protect him.”

She gnawed on her lip. “We couldn’t protect Credence in the subway.”

“We couldn’t, no,” He agreed, shoulders sinking at the painful flash of memory that ran through his mind. “But the circumstances were rather different; we didn’t know until…well, if we had known sooner, then perhaps we may have been able to do something. But this is far different: Phoenix is _our_ son, and we both love him – we love all of them – and he won’t _ever_ have to go through what that…that awful woman put Credence through.”

Tina’s eyes flashed for a moment, and he just knew she was reliving the afternoon she had attacked Mary Lou Barebone before being demoted. “No, we wouldn’t do _that_ to him,” She affirmed, much more certain.

Newt took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her fingers thoughtfully. “We _wouldn’t_ ,” He repeated. “Our children will _never_ be forced to repress their magic, never be made to feel that way – we’ll make sure of it.”

For a moment they were both silent, just sitting together in the dark as these words sunk in; finally, Tina inhaled deeply and gave a nod. “You’re right. I’m sorry I woke you up over a stupid dream-”

“It wasn’t stupid, love,” Newt assured her gently. “I understand…I’ve had my own fair share of nightmares.”

She didn’t bother pressing – she knew what he was talking about, and it wouldn’t do well to open up such scars. “I suppose… He’ll be okay.”

“Yes,” He muttered, closing his eyes as he thought of their son. “He will.”


	2. "She was eight when she died"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt has nightmares too – and his are just as unpleasant as Tina’s. After all, Credence wasn’t the only Obscurial he had tried to save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “The girl I met in Africa was eight when she…she was eight when she died.”

_The girl was shaking in the corner of the room, face buried into her knees and shoulders shaking as she tried to stop herself from crying; she had been beaten and abused, purple bruises blossoming up the skin of her legs and arms. There were almost certainly more hidden beneath the torn fabric of her dress._

_Newt found himself stepping forwards cautiously, setting his wand down as he approached the girl. “It’s alright, there’s no need to be frightened…I’m here, Linnet.”_

_His daughter raised her head, still shaking from the intensity of her sobs; her face was tear-streaked and awfully pale, her body so small and fragile. “D-Daddy…”_

_“I’m here,” He promised her, feeling like his voice was about to break. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise…just come with me, please.”_

_“I don’t wanna be like this anymore,” Linnet cried, pushing herself as far back against the wall as she could. “I’m scared, Daddy…I can’t help it, I-I’m trying to be good but…but I_ can’t _.”_

_There were dark wisps swirling in the air now – he knew only too well what that meant._

_“You_ are _good, Lin,” Newt promised sincerely. “You don’t need to hide your magic at all; you’ll be going to school soon, and you can learn to control and harness those powers…don’t hide it.”_

_“I have to,” She whispered, covering her face with her hands. “They hurt me if I don’t…they hurt me…”_

_The kinetic mass was starting to rise up from within Linnet, black trails hiding her from him; he straightened up, reaching for his wand and desperately tried to think of something he could do._

_“Linnet, please…you don’t need to be frightened anymore, I’m here – I’m here, and I’ll protect you, I promise-”_

_The Obscurus had overtaken her, however, seeming to sense that Newt was trying to contain it – he knew all too well how this was to play out, what would happen before it did because he’d_ seen _it for himself beforehand._

_“Please, don’t,” He pleaded, gripping his wand tightly as he readied himself for the worst. “She’s done nothing wrong – she’s eight years old, please-”_

_The dark mass lashed out, suddenly, consuming his daughter completely; without thinking, he tried to cast a shielding charm on her to protect her – but it was too late. He stumbled backwards at the force of it, and when he pushed himself off the floor once more it took him a moment to take in his surroundings._

_Through the dust settling, he could see that there was a tattered piece of Obscurus trapped inside the shield he had tried to conjure, swirling about. To his horror, there was a tiny body lying nearby; her auburn hair was spread out beneath her, dreadfully matted, brown eyes gazing into a bleak nothingness._

_“No,” Newt choked, stumbling over to her body; she was limp as he took her into his arms, a small dead weight.. “No, Lin…Linnet…”_

* * *

 

His wife was already holding him and urging him to wake up when he jolted out of the dream; he found himself clinging to her desperately as he tried not to sob, the awful images stubbornly imprinted in his mind.

“It’s alright, Newt,” Tina soothed gently, though she knew as well as he did that nightmares could be so horribly vivid. “Just a bad dream – whatever it was, it’s not true. Do you want to tell me about it?”

Newt buried himself into her shoulder, closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to find the words to describe what he had seen. “So…So _wrong_ …couldn’t save her…I couldn’t. It _consumed_ her…I didn’t react soon enough…”

“Consumed who?”

“ _Linnet_ ,” He gasped, feeling the air leave his lungs as he said it aloud. “Oh _Merlin_ …I tried so hard, Tina, I did…she was in front of me, and I tried but I…I _failed_ , I failed her…”

Tina wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin against the top of his head. “No, Newt, you haven’t failed her at all; she’s asleep in bed, all of them are…you haven’t failed any of them, I promise.”

“No,” He forced out, trembling against her. “She was terrified and I…I let her down. I let it kill her, let it swarm and take over… I was supposed to protect her…”

“It was only a dream,” She murmured consolingly. “Only an awful dream. You’ve never let Linnet down – you’ve never let _any_ of them down at all.”

It took a few minutes for him to calm himself; she merely held him as he struggled through it, patiently waiting in case he spoke again or needed her reassurance. She understood without him having to explain because she, too, had had her own nightmares regarding the children – it shook her to her core when she had those dreams, making her shake and tremble; to add, Newt and Linnet had always had a rather close father-daughter relationship, and so it was understandable as to why he was so distraught.

“I’m sorry,” Newt murmured finally, turning his head up to her. “I’m sorry I woke you up, it’s just that…that it seemed so _real_ , Tina. It was just like…” He swallowed the bile in his throat. “Just like the Sudanese girl.”

“Linnet isn’t the Sudanese girl,” Tina reminded him softly, though there was no judgement in her voice. “She won’t be hurt like those people hurt that girl, I promise. She’s a happy, smart little girl who loves seeing magic; she’s already excited about going to school, and that’s two years away.”

He gave a small nod, trying to compose himself. “Of course, I know that…but that dream was so _awfully_ vivid, Tina. It was like it really was happening, and…and when I saw her in the dream, I felt so…so _useless_ because I should have been the one to save her. I failed to help that girl, and I failed to help Credence in the subway-”

“We both did,” She interrupted, somewhat mournfully. “We did what we could, Newt…we can’t change that.”

“I should have been able to save my own daughter,” Newt muttered miserably. “She means the world to me, Tina…all of them do. If anything were to happen to them, I don’t know what I’d do.”

She sighed heavily, looking away from him. “I know. I worry every night about them, Newt; I see what’s happening in Germany to the No-Majs and…and what that _madman_ is doing to Jewish people, and I feel _sick_. I worry that we’ll lose both wars, that his plans will spread, that the children will be in danger if it does…sometimes I wonder if we’re doing the right thing, raising children in a world like this.”

“Tina…”

“But I don’t regret anything,” Tina stated, raising her eyes to meet his gaze. “I could never regret them, no matter what happens – and I know you don’t regret anything either.”

“Of course I don’t,” Newt agreed immediately.

She inhaled deeply, her hand on his arm incredibly understanding. “I know that you feel that you let that girl down, Newt…the one in Sudan. I know that you wish you’d done more, perhaps found her sooner and helped her, but it’s not your fault that she died – you did what you could. You tried to help Credence in New York, we both did, and it just happened so fast…neither of us helped him in time, and it hurts whenever I remember that.” Her voice wavered slightly as she said this, and it was clear that she was trying not to allow her emotions to get the best of her.

Her husband squeezed her hand, a lump forming in his throat. “I wish we had saved him – that I had saved that girl.”

“Sometimes we can’t save people, Newt,” Tina murmured sadly. “Sometimes we have to live knowing that we can’t save everyone. I’ve seen it out on missions; I think about children that get caught in the crossfire during a stand-off, about someone I could have helped if I’d gotten there sooner… I’ve found wizards dying in the street and tried to heal them somewhat before we can get them to St. Mungo’s, but it’s just not enough. We can try and try as hard as we want, and sometimes it does help – sometimes we do save people…but we can’t save everyone.”

He found himself thinking about his creatures; just a few years previously, a mysterious illness had killed a young Graphorn calf – it had devastated not only the calf’s parents but the entire Scamander family too. The children had mournfully watched as he dug a hole in the ground the muggle way, feeling that he owed it to this creature to put the effort in; when Tina had offered to help him, he had stiffly declined – he had wanted to do it himself. Linnet had cried as they said their goodbyes to the calf that they barely knew, clutching onto his waistcoat; Phoenix had saved his tears for a more private setting, whilst Leo just simply hadn’t understood. At the time, Newt had blamed himself; if he had noticed sooner, perhaps, or come up with a cure…it had taken a while before he realized that he couldn’t have done anything more – he had done all he could.

“Death is a part of life,” Newt found himself musing quietly. “You’re right.”

“You tried to help the Sudanese girl,” Tina repeated gently. “And we tried to help Credence too. But it won’t happen to our children - they know that we love them and accept them, no matter what, that they won’t have to repress their magic like…like others have.”

This was true; accidental bursts of magic were never punished, of course – their children were still not old enough to attend Hogwarts, and so there was no way for them to control it. Both parents understood this, of course, instead reacting positively if their children displayed a sign of magic – the children were _never_ made to feel that magic was a terrible thing at all.

“I’m sorry,” Newt found himself apologizing again, feeling rather foolish. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, you should be sleeping-”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Tina interrupted firmly. “I’m glad you woke me up, to be honest: I’d rather be here to comfort you than asleep.”

“But…” He hesitated. “But the baby…”

“Don’t worry about that,” She dismissed, though she did look slightly tired. “Wren’s a few months old so she’s fairly settled – she barely wakes up for night-feeds anyway. Honestly, dear, if you’re hurting then I want to be here for you.” She leaned into him, and he accepted the warm weight of her readily. “You don’t need to apologize to me, anyway; I’ve woken you up with my own nightmares more than enough times.”

They were silent as they lay together, an uneasy calm washing over them. Newt found himself thinking about their daughter: Linnet was bright and beautiful and just as stubborn as her mother, a caring and loving little girl even if she _did_ squabble with her older brother. The idea of anyone hurting her – of hurting any of their children, for that matter – was deeply unpleasant: as silly as it might have seemed to some, he knew that he would give his life to protect his children, no matter what.

“I want to protect her, Tina,” Newt whispered, embracing his wife tightly. “I want to protect all of them.”

“I know you do,” Tina mumbled, interlinking their hands and squeezing. “So do I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so the other chapters won’t be dreams, as it were, but something else. :) 
> 
> I hope you’re enjoying the fic so far – I’m enjoying this Scamander family angst/hurt/comfort XD


	3. "Magic is Bad"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Children are assholes. Little Leo just wants to read his book. Newt and Tina worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in early April 1942.
> 
> Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 10 (going on 11)  
>  Linnet – 13th January 1933 – 9  
>  Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 7  
>  Wren – 5th May 1941 – 11 months old 
> 
> (Kowalski children:)
> 
> Tobias “Toby” – 15th October 1929 – 12 (in his first year at Hogwarts)  
>  Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 11 (about to start Hogwarts)  
>  Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 8   
>  Elijah “Eli” – 28th January 1939 – 3  
>  Lucy – 8th September 1941 – 7 months old

It had been her sister’s idea to bring the children to a _muggle_ playground of all things; Queenie had simply smiled and said that the fresh air would do all of them some good – the Kowalski children had played just fine with the non-magical children in New York, she’d stated.

“There ain’t nothing wrong with No-Majs,” Queenie reminded her. “I married one and he’s the sweetest…besides, the kids need other kids to play with who aren’t _family_ – magic or no magic, it’ll teach them to make friends.”

“I never said there was anything _wrong_ with No-Majs,” Tina defended, somewhat embarrassed. “I’m just being…cautious.”

It was a relatively warm spring day, and the children had immediately rushed to play; their mothers had settled a short distance away on a bench so that they could keep watch of them. Tina seemed more anxious, unable to help herself from glancing at where her children were greeting a group of No-Maj ( _muggle_ , she could imagine Newt correcting) children; her sister merely gave a laugh, shaking her head.

“Teen, don’t worry,” She assured her, carefully removing her youngest daughter from the stroller she had brought; Lucy cooed up at her, blonde hair sticking up from her short nap. “The kids will be fine – Daisy will look out for them, no problem. Come on, I think Wren needs a hug.”

“Are you reading my daughter’s mind?” Tina asked, only half-heartedly stern. “She’s not even a year old!”

“I’m not reading her mind really,” Queenie said calmly. “There’s no thoughts – but I can tell what she’s feeling, and she needs a hug.”

Her sister huffed but lifted the baby into her arms; Wren gave a happy peal of laughter at the attention before looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings eagerly. Tina couldn’t help but grin. “It’s not the case, I know, but your Auntie Queenie insisted.”

She watched as her daughter peered around curiously before struggling to get free; it hadn’t taken Newt and Tina long to realize that she was rather fond of exploring, and while this was a rather good thing in some capacity…well, it posed a slight problem sometimes. It was for this reason that Tina kept a firm hold on her, determined not to let her break free.

“And I thought Eli had been trouble,” Queenie mused under her breath, clearly having read her older sister’s thoughts.

* * *

While the other children had set off to play – except for Eli, who was in the sandbox with a rather patient Abel – Leo had hung back; he wasn’t particularly sociable, and he wasn’t too comfortable to be surrounded by so many children he didn’t know. No, he would have honestly preferred just playing with his siblings and cousins or being in the case with his father all day – but he knew that his mother and Auntie Queenie had been planning this trip out, so he had come along willingly.

It was for this reason that he found himself glad he had brought his copy of ‘ _Fantastic Beasts_ ’ with him; Tina had transfigured the cover so that it looked more like a muggle children’s fairy-tale book, and he was more than happy to sit on the swings with it. No matter how many times he found himself looking through it, he found himself enchanted by reading about all of these magical creatures – many that he had grown up around, in fact.

 _The Bowtruckles are the best,_ Leo thought to himself as he flicked to that page eagerly; there was a small drawing of a Bowtruckle underneath the description, and he wondered whether this particular one had had a name. Perhaps it had been one of the ones his father kept in the case, he thought, or even one he’d seen travelling.

A sudden hard push knocked him forwards and off the swing, sprawling awkwardly into the dirt below; his glasses flew off his nose and there was the sound of sniggering. When Leo had managed to put his glasses back on, he looked up and saw that there were two muggle boys watching him; they were probably around the same age as Phoenix, and just as tall.

“Oops,” One of them muttered with a smirk. “Sorry, four-eyes.”

Leo’s cheeks burned as he hurriedly picked his book up from the ground; his knees were hurting from where he probably skinned them going down, and his palms were scratched. His mother or aunt would be able to heal him no problem, he knew, but it still _hurt_.

“Look at him,” Another boy guffawed. “He’s just a little baby.”

“’m _seven_ ,” Leo mumbled, avoiding their eyes; he knew that he was rather small for his age, small and thin, and it was something he _hated_.

He was staggering to his feet, book in arms, when firm hands shoved him back into the dirt again; his book went skidding across the ground as he fell, and he yelped out involuntarily when the graze on his knees stung.  

“What’ve you been reading?” The first boy sneered, reaching to pick the book up; he looked at the cover and gave a sharp peal of laughter. “ _Fairy-tales_ …what a baby.”

“Give me my book back!” Leo cried, reaching for it; the boy yanked the book away quickly, out of reach. “Stop it!”

The second boy snorted. “My _sister_ is only _five_ and she doesn’t even read fairy-tales!”

Across the playground, Abel had noticed that something was amiss; silently, he helped Elijah up out of the sandbox and set off towards where their mothers were sitting. He was too shy to intervene himself, but he knew that Tina and Queenie would have no problem whatsoever.

Leo managed to push himself into a standing position and tried to grab the book from the other boy’s hands; the bully, much taller, held it away from him easily. “What’s the matter, little baby? Can’t reach?”

“You gonna go and cry to your Mummy?” The other boy cackled, roughly pushing him so that he stumbled backwards.

“I want my book back!” Leo said miserably, and he was horrified when he found that his eyes were tearful. “Please, I just want…”

“It’s just a dumb fairy-tale book,” The first boy jeered. “It’s probably _rubbish_.”

He had flipped the book open to a random page; before the seven-year-old could say or do anything, he _tore_ a section of pages out and threw them to the floor.

* * *

“Mama! Auntie Tina!”

Both Tina and Queenie were surprised when Abel rushed over, a displeased Elijah clutching his hand and fussing; the blonde gestured for them to come closer, face quickly turning concerned. “Abe, honey, what’s the matter?”

Abel pointed to the playground with his free hand – but he didn’t need to say anything, for Queenie quickly understood what was going on.

“Teen, it’s Leo,” She stated worriedly. “There’s…There’s two boys, and they’re picking on him-”

But Tina was already looking at the playground, heart dropping to her stomach; there were two boys shoving her younger son around, one of them clutching his book in hand, and sneering.

She made up her mind immediately and got to her feet, passing Wren to her sister. “Look after her.”

“Teen…”

But Tina had already set off, crossing the distance between the bench and the playground quickly; she didn’t know _what_ she was going to do, but she had to do _something_ – this was her son, just seven years old, and he didn’t deserve to be treated like this in any way. He was quiet but sweet and kind; there was an awkwardness to him, just like Newt, and while she loved that about him there was no telling how _others_ would react.

She was close when one of the boys opened the book and started to tear out the pages.

The effect was almost immediate; without warning, the mud from the ground splattered the boy. He dropped the book, horrified, as another burst of mud hit the second boy in the face.

“What did you do?!” The first boy yelled, glaring at Leo. “What is wrong with you?!”

Leo seemed to shrink on the spot, terrified as he backed away. “I…I didn’t do anything! I didn’t even touch the mud!”

“You did _something_!” The second boy snapped, scrubbing at his eyes.

“I…I didn’t,” Leo whimpered. “I didn’t do anything, I was just standing here!”

“ _Normal_ people can’t move stuff without touching it!” The first boy snarled, taking a step forwards. “You’re a _freak_ , throwing mud with no hands!”

“ _Freak!_ ” The second boy echoed.

Leo burst into tears, hiding his face in his hands. Tina was by his side in seconds, pulling him towards her as she kneeled down; from the corner of her eye she saw the other two boys backing down, but she had more pressing matters in that moment. “Oh, Leo…come here. What happened?”

Her son immediately started to cling to her sleeves, relief evident on his face. “They…I was reading, and…and they took my book…they took it and started to rip it…”

Another woman appeared, tall and blonde; it was obvious that she was one of the boys’ mothers as she said, “Bill, you’re absolutely filthy! I told you not to play in the mud!”

“It’s _his_ fault, Mum,” The first boy – Bill – muttered, looking pointedly at Leo. “He threw mud at us!”

“I didn’t!” Leo protested miserably, clutching Tina’s hand as she stood. “I didn’t even _touch_ it! They were pushing me about!”

“ _He_ threw mud at us!”

Tina squared her shoulders and forced herself to put on a polite smile for the other boy’s mother. “I saw the whole thing; my son didn’t _move_ , let alone throw mud at anyone – his hands are clean too.”

Bill’s mother seemed to note this as she nodded. “Yes, that does appear to be true… Bill, stop making up such wild stories – it’s absolutely ridiculous for you to have these childish imaginings at your age.”

“But…But…”

“Enough,” His mother said sternly. “We’re going home, Bill; if you can’t behave yourself then you can’t play. I suggest that you do the same, Bertie.”

The second boy – Bertie – lowered his head; underneath the mud, his cheeks had gone pink. “Yes, ma’am.”

Tina said nothing as they walked away, keeping a firm grip on her son; Leo was pressed into her side, shoulders shaking. As soon as the boys and other woman were out of earshot, she squeezed his hand and looked down at him. “Leo, honey, I’m…I’m so sorry I didn’t come over sooner.”

He quickly buried his face into her hip, fingers clutching at her leg. “Wanna go home,” He mumbled miserably; his tears wet through the fabric of her trousers. “Wanna go home, Mummy.”

“Yes,” She agreed quietly. “We’ll go home right now.”

She sent Leo towards the bench where Queenie was waiting before crouching close to the ground; she picked up the copy of _Fantastic Beasts_ that had been thrown to the floor and examined it. There didn’t appear to be too much damage, nothing that couldn’t be fixed easily by magic – but Tina knew it was more than a book to her son: Leo _idolised_ Newt, wanted to be just like his father when he grew up, and this book meant so much to him. To see it defiled in such a way would have made him _distraught_.

She recovered the torn-out pages before tucking them and the book into her coat pocket – she and Newt would have to have a conversation with their son when they got home, she decided, if only to reassure him of his accidental burst of magic.

Tina tried not to think about another young boy losing control of his magic, though on a much larger scale, and failed.

* * *

Queenie had tactfully invited Phoenix and Linnet over to the Kowalski household for supper, sensing what Tina was planning, and then offered to take Wren too for a few hours.

“Make sure he knows it ain’t his fault, Teen,” She said to her sister quietly when all of the children were out of earshot. “He’s hurting.”

The house was empty when Tina and Leo arrived home, save for the suitcase on the floor of the front room; they clambered down the steps, her son not speaking a word, and into the shed. Newt was outside with a Mooncalf that appeared to be nursing a broken leg; when he saw his wife and son he grinned at them – but he faltered when Tina’s mouth remained a tight line, worry evident on her face.

Once he had finished wrapping the Mooncalf’s leg, he made his way over to them. “Alright? How was the park?”

Leo said nothing, eyes fixed on the floor; Tina bit her lip and gently urged him forwards. “Why don’t you go and play with Ralph, Leo? He’ll be happy to see you.”

He was silent as he made his way over to the Graphorn enclosure, both parents watching him; Newt turned to his wife and frowned. “What’s wrong? I’ve never seen him so…so quiet down here.”

“There was an incident at the park,” Tina told him softly, eyes still fixed on their son. “Two boys, they…I looked away for a _minute_ , Newt, because Wren was fussing and then Abel came over and…and there were two boys shoving him.” Her shoulders sank visibly. “They had his book and wouldn’t give it back; I went straight over there but they _tore_ out some pages and it happened so _fast_ … He had an accidental burst of magic and splattered the boys in mud.”

“Oh. Oh, I see.”

“I should have been keeping a closer eye on him,” She sighed, shaking her head to herself. “I should have noticed sooner and stopped it.”

His hand was gentle on her arm, face understanding. “Don’t, Tina; you did what you could. You can’t watch all four of them at once, unfortunately – I’ve learnt that the hard way.”

“I’m worried about him,” She admitted. “I know that accidental magic happens with children, especially when they’re as young as Leo, but…but something’s not right.”

“We’ll have to talk to him about it,” Newt agreed quietly, casting his eyes at their son; Leo was sitting by the Graphorn’s habitat, miserable even as Ralph – his favourite Graphorn, born a year ago – tried to play with him.

He wasn’t an expert in childcare by any means, but even he knew that something was certainly very wrong.

* * *

They exited the case shortly afterwards; Newt set about preparing some supper whilst Tina examined their son. He was sporting a few grazes and scrapes from being shoved, and he winced when she touched them.

“Alright,” She soothed, sitting him on the kitchen counter; she wasn’t the best at healing spells by any means, but something this minor was easy enough – there was no point in wasting Dittany on it really. “I’ll clean you up and it won’t hurt as much.”

Leo said nothing as she wet a rag and wiped the mixture of dirt and dried blood from his knees and hands, only occasionally pulling a face of discomfort. When this was done, Tina set the rag aside, washed her hands, and reached for her wand on the worktop.

She brought it to the palm of his left hand – and then he recoiled, jerking away as if she had burnt him.

“No,” He cried, backing away from her. “No, no, no…”

Newt had crossed the kitchen in just a few strides, face alive with concern. “Leo, it’s alright-”

“No magic,” Leo whimpered, trying to get away from them both. “It’s bad, no magic, please, Mummy-”

“There’s nothing wrong with magic at all,” Tina told him, trying to put her hands on his shoulders; he shrunk away from her touch. “Leo, you know there’s absolutely nothing wrong with magic; we use magic every day.”

Leo choked, the words stuck in his throat. “Magic is _bad_ ,” He insisted tearfully. “It hurts people – _I_ hurt those boys, _I’m_ bad, I don’t wanna be bad-”

“You’re not bad,” Newt interrupted. “You just lost control of your magic for a moment; everyone does when they’re young. I certainly did, your Mummy did, Auntie Queenie did…”

“I’m a _freak_ ,” Leo sobbed, tears streaming down his face. “I’m a _freak_ and not normal and I don’t wanna be magical!”

Before he could continue, Tina had taken him into her arms and pulled him close to her; he didn’t try to resist this time, clutching at her as he cried. Newt looked pained as he watched, reaching to rub at their son’s back comfortingly.

“You’re _not_ a freak,” She said fiercely, giving him a squeeze. “Don’t _ever_ think like that, Leo Scamander, _never_. Those boys at the playground…they were _wrong_ and they’re cowards for bullying you.”

“But…But…”

“There’s nothing wrong with being magical, Leo,” Newt added in agreement. “You were born with it – it’s just as much a part of who you are as…as…as your hair, as _breathing_. There’s nothing bad about magic – _nothing_.”

He found himself absent-mindedly thinking about Credence; he had been beaten and forced to repress his magic, to believe that he was abnormal and a _freak_ too. He didn’t want the seeds of doubt to be planted in his son’s mind – in any of his children’s minds, for that matter – when he and his wife both knew first-hand what could happen.

“But not everyone’s magic,” Leo stated, giving a hiccup. “Uncle Jacob isn’t magic – is that wrong?”

“Your Uncle Jacob is a No-Maj-”

“ _Muggle_ ,” Newt corrected without thinking.

Tina sent him a pointed look that clearly said that this was not the time. “He’s a _muggle_ , and that’s fine too; some people are magical and some aren’t. There’s nothing wrong with either of those things, I promise.”

Leo seemed to be considering this, still clutching his mother like a lifeline. “So…so is it like how Phoenix has dark hair but me and Lin don’t?”

“Sort of,” Newt allowed with a nod. “Or another example, I suppose, would be cooking; your Auntie Queenie is a marvellous cook, and your mother is-”

Tina frowned. “I’m what?”

“Oh, well,” He hesitated, trying to decide how best to phrase it without offending his wife. “You’re a decent cook too, love, but Queenie has perhaps more of an…an affinity for it, I’d say.”

She huffed but didn’t argue. “We’re getting off-topic here,” She muttered. “Leo, I don’t want you feeling like you’re wrong just for being magical; you were born magical, and nothing can change that. I wouldn’t _want_ you to change – no one would, because we all love you just as you are.”

He gave a sniff but was no longer crying. “A-Alright…” His eyes were nervous as he looked up at his father, bottom lip quivering. “They ripped up your book, Daddy. I’m sorry, I tried to get it back but…but…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Newt assured him gently. “I’m sure we can easily fix it somehow – and if not, we can just get a new copy, no problem.”

“It was _your_ book,” Leo said unhappily, clearly still upset. “They ripped _your_ book, Daddy.”

“We know you love that book,” Tina agreed understandingly. “I love it too, you know…it means a lot to me.”

Newt knew the meaning behind that without asking; after all, it had been writing that book that had led him to travelling, and then wanting to release Frank in Arizona – and then they had met in New York, quite by accident, and it had been quite a few days to say the least. It had been the promise of giving her a copy of his book that had given him an excuse to go back to New York to see her, though inside they both knew it was more than about the book. He could remember the tearful joy on her face when the first edition after they had married was published, when she had seen the words proclaiming her as “his wife Porpentina” on the page.

The book carried so much more meaning than just being a magical creature guide, at least to them.

“I’ll get it cleaned and fixed for you,” Tina promised, wiping away the remaining tears from his cheeks; she waited until he nodded before continuing. “Now, will you let me take care of your cuts and grazes? It’ll take just a minute.”

Leo nodded again, sitting back on the counter once more; this time when his mother traced her wand over his skin he didn’t flinch, instead watching somewhat curiously as his injuries faded. He said nothing else as his father went to finish supper or as his mother worked, just watching and studying.

When Tina had finished, her son looked up at her; the corner of his lips twitched, as if he was considering smiling. “Mummy?” He murmured, running a hand over where the graze on his knee had been just moments earlier. “Magic…Magic isn’t really bad, is it? You made me feel better with it.”

“That’s right,” She affirmed, managing the smallest of smiles.

Leo smiled back. “Alright. Thank you, Mummy; I love you.”

“Yes, and I love you too,” Tina agreed fondly, acquiescing when he held out his arms for another hug. “If…If you ever feel like this again at all, then come and talk to me about it, Leo, or talk to your father…please don’t hold it in.”

It was a sentiment she and Newt had shared over the years: they were not going to let any of their children suffer like Credence had, not going to let anything hurt them so bad that their children developed such a dark force. Even so, they couldn’t protect their children from everything – it was inevitable that someday their children would get hurt in some way, it was a fact of life, and there would be nothing they could do about it.

But not now, Tina vowed to herself; for now, while the children were still young, she and Newt could protect them to the best of their abilities – and nothing was about to change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so there’s just one more chapter to go! :o That is, of course, going to be about Wren, so…that should be rather interesting, I think!
> 
> Do let me know what you think!


	4. "I'll Catch You"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Death Cell haunts Newt and Tina years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is – the final chapter of “Protect Them”!
> 
> Set in September 1946.
> 
> Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 15 (5th Year at Hogwarts)  
> Linnet – 13th January 1933 – 13 (3rd Year at Hogwarts)  
> Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 11 (1st Year at Hogwarts)  
> Wren – 5th May 1941 – 5
> 
> (Kowalski children:)
> 
> Tobias “Toby” – 15th October 1929 – 16 (nearly 17) (6th Year at Hogwarts)  
> Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 15 and a half (5th Year at Hogwarts)  
> Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 12 (nearly 13) (2nd Year at Hogwarts)  
> Elijah “Eli” – 28th January 1939 – 7 (nearly 8)  
> Lucy – 8th September 1941 – 5  
> Penny – 17th January 1943 – 3 (nearly 4)
> 
> (A/N: Penny is a child that Jacob and Queenie adopted – she’s got red hair and blue eyes, so that’s a heads-up!)

* * *

It hadn’t escaped Newt’s notice that his youngest daughter was extremely _bored_ ; with Leo now starting his first year at Hogwarts, it left Wren the only child still in the house. She had looked miserable when they had waved the others off on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters on the first of the month, tightly clutching Tina’s hand and voicing her wish to go to Hogwarts too; it would still be another six years until she was old enough, much to her disappointment.

At first, he had thought that perhaps allowing her to do more in the case would appease or at least distract her; for a short time she had looked cheered up by feeding the Mooncalves and Bowtruckles, but then a week passed and she returned to looking sullen. It was slightly off-putting, to the say the least, as she was usually so much brighter and alive.

Tina had seemed equally worried by their daughter’s melancholy behaviour. “Queenie suggested getting her a pet, but I don’t see how that will help…besides, there are enough creatures in this house as it is.”

“She’s not even enjoying being around the creatures anymore,” Newt sighed, shaking his head. “She really misses Leo…before, she could play with him, but now…”

There was a wet and rainy day a week later; while Tina had braved the storm to go to work, Newt had resigned himself to his case with Wren to check on his creatures. His daughter watched sadly as he tended to each of them, feeding them and making sure that they were content; she didn’t move when he gestured for her to come and help him, and so he ended up dropping the idea with sinking shoulders.

By the time all of the creatures were dealt with, it was lunchtime; Newt helped the five-year-old out of the case, making sure she didn’t slip on the steps, and then set about making some food for the two of them. Wren ate silently, keeping her eyes focused on her plate; it was slightly unnerving, if he was honest, for usually she was so bubbly and talkative.

She raised her eyes to meet his own, chewing slowly. “Don’t feel like talking…and what does ‘un-nerving’ mean?”

“Nothing,” Newt said quickly, forcing himself to smile. “I just miss your talking, that’s all.”

She watched out the window of the front as he cleaned up, chin on her hand as she studied the rain drops rolling down the window; she didn’t look his way when he entered the room or when he sat next to her on the sofa where she was kneeling.

“I like rain,” She announced thoughtfully. “It sounds pretty…but I _don’t_ like it because it means that I can’t go and play. Is that strange, Daddy?”

“No, I don’t think so,” He assured her. “Well, I’ve done my jobs for the day – I shouldn’t need to feed the creatures until this evening now. Perhaps…Is there anything that you’d like to do?”

Wren shrugged. “Not really. I just want to _play_.”

Thankfully, Queenie decided to visit that day; she and the children were kept dry with a spell, and she beamed at him when she entered the house.

“Awful day, isn’t it?” She stated before pausing. “Is now a bad time?”

“Actually now is the _perfect_ time,” He answered honestly. “I think Wren needs a playmate.”

“Missing her brothers and sister,” Queenie agreed, nodding in understanding. “Yeah, it’s no fun…Eli’s been all sad ‘cause he wants to go too; the girls ain’t as bad, but Eli _knows_ and it’s getting him down.”

It didn’t take long for Wren’s spirits to lift when she and Eli started playing together; soon they were both laughing and giggling as they chased each other around the house, clearly happy. Lucy and Penny trailed behind, not quite able to keep up but having fun all the same. In the meantime, Newt made Queenie some coffee (she still thought that British coffee was worse, but she accepted it anyway) and himself a much-needed cup of tea before they sat down in the kitchen.

“I can’t believe Teen’s gone in today,” The blonde muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “She’ll be stuck on deskwork – there ain’t no way they’re doing raids in this weather.”

“I know, but she insisted,” Newt said rather fondly; he wouldn’t have expected anything less from his wife. “How have things been with you?”

Queenie smiled. “We’re doing just fine; Jacob always misses the kids when they go back to school, misses having them visit the bakery…he’s gonna make some pastries to send up to the school soon, so that the kids don’t get _too_ homesick… Not that Toby’s really a _kid_ anymore.” Here she frowned, somewhat sadly. “He’s gonna be seventeen in October, you know.”

“He has grown rather fast,” He agreed, and he found himself thinking of his own children. “Phoenix is fifteen now; sometimes I forget how old he really is, and I’m surprised when he comes home for the holidays so _tall_...and Linnet isn’t a little girl anymore either.”

“I’m gonna be crying for weeks when Eli and Lucy both go off to school,” His sister-in-law remarked, and he didn’t doubt it. “I’m gonna miss having kids in the house. Me and Jacob, we keep thinking about adopting again…it would give Penny a brother or sister to grow up with, you know? A brother or sister who’s a No-Maj like her…and yes, I know you Brits call them _muggles_ ,” She added, rolling her eyes at his thoughts. “But _No-Maj_ is a better term.”

Newt merely shook his head with a small grin, deciding it was best not to comment on cultural differences as he lifted his mug.

* * *

By the time four o’clock had rolled around, both Lucy and Penny were absolutely _shattered_ ; the younger of the girls had fallen asleep on Queenie’s lap in the kitchen, and her older sister didn’t look far behind as she rubbed her eyes.

“I should probably get them home,” Queenie mused fondly, running a hand through Penny’s red curls; her daughter stirred but didn’t wake. “I wonder where Eli got off to.”

“Here, I’ll go and fetch him,” Newt told her, standing up; she looked rather weighed down with two small girls leaning on her, unable to stand up just yet.

She smiled gratefully. “Thank you, honey.”

As it soon transpired, Eli and Wren were still playing together in the front room – and they’d made quite the mess of the furniture and cushions, much to his dismay: Tina was going to kill him if she knew he’d let the children destroy the front room.

“Alright, I think that’s enough fun for today,” He announced hurriedly. “Eli, I think your moth-”

“DADDY!” Wren was calling to him, beaming and giggling. “Catch me, Daddy! Catch me!”

Newt looked over at her – and his heart froze in his chest; she was standing on a chair, her short dark hair ruffled and sticking out in all directions. Suddenly he found himself thinking of an eerily similar image: it wasn’t Wren standing on a chair, but Tina, and he was no longer in the front room – he was in that bland white death cell, deep under the heart of MACUSA…and she was _crying_ , _terrified_ , thinking she was about to die…he had to catch her, and if he didn’t then it would be _his_ fault-

“Daddy?” Wren was no longer smiling, looking confused. Eli had now stopped playing too, looking over with wide eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you thinking about Mummy crying?”

 _“I’ll catch you,”_ He had told her, though he had been just as scared as she had. “ _I’ve got you, Tina_.” And he _had_ caught her, he forced himself to remember; he _had_ caught her and held her close, and she was still very much alive…Tina was fine, she was _absolutely fine_ , he didn’t need to panic…

Another image assaulted his mind quite suddenly: it was _Wren_ standing on the chair in the Death Cells of MACUSA now, her face tear-stained and terrified as she pleaded for him to help her. The black potion was rising up around her, forming jaws ready to clamp down around her and _burn_ her…she was _screaming_ , he was supposed to protect her, she had trusted him…she was wailing and sobbing as the potion burnt her-

Wren clambered down from the chair and ran to him, tears in her eyes. “Daddy, stop! What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“I’ll get my Ma,” Eli decided, hurriedly leaving the room. “She’ll know what to do.”

“You’re scaring me, Daddy,” His daughter whimpered, clutching his arm; he hadn’t even realized he was shaking. “What’s that black stuff? Why are you thinking about it?”

“I’m fine,” Newt gasped, though he felt like he couldn’t breathe. “I’m _fine_.”

Wren frowned. “No, you’re not. You’re thinking about Mummy and you’re thinking about me, and I don’t _like_ what you’re thinking; why was she on that chair?”

“She…” He could feel his chest start to tighten, and he cursed himself for losing composure over something so small; she’d just been standing on a chair, for Merlin’s sake, just playing and he’d lost his mind over it.

_Tina’s fine…She’s fine, I caught her. Wren is fine, she’s right here. Stop it._

Queenie entered the room them, looking extremely worried as she walked towards him. “Newt, honey, it’s okay,” He heard her say calmingly, her soft hands cupping his face. “It’s _okay_.”

“What’s wrong with him, Auntie Queenie?” Wren asked, taking a few steps back; she looked _terrified_.

“Your Pa’s okay,” Queenie soothed her, though her eyes didn’t leave Newt. “He just needs a minute.”

“I’m fine,” He managed, pulling away from her as he finally – _finally_ – found the strength to move. “I’m fine, really.”

The blonde sent him a _look_. “You _ain’t_ fine…sit down a minute, alright? I’ll get you some tea.”

“But…But you said-”

“I can stay until Teen comes home,” Queenie said firmly, and it was obvious that she wasn’t going to budge on the matter. “It ain’t gonna be much longer ‘til she gets home anyway – come on, sit down.”

Newt grudgingly let her force him down on the sofa, his hands twitching; Wren sat down, keeping a distance between them, and watched him with wary eyes. He knew that he had scared her, and he found himself feeling awash with guilt because of it; she was only _five_ , and he had subjected her to those thoughts – he still had nightmares about that day, Tina did too, and the last thing he wanted would be for their _daughter_ to have them too now because of him.

After a moment, Wren hesitantly moved closer to him; she took his hand slowly and gave it a squeeze in her own tiny one. “I’m okay, Daddy,” She murmured quietly. “And Mummy’s okay too.”

“Yes, I know,” He muttered, and he found himself inexplicably glad that she had taken his hand. “I know.”

* * *

Tina arrived home shortly after five, looking rather tired and somewhat damp from the weather outside; she was surprised when Queenie was the first one to greet her, eyes soft and face concerned. She quietly told her sister a rather basic outline of what had transpired that afternoon before adding that it would be best if she spoke to Newt – he would probably benefit more from talking to her, after all.

“Wren can come over for dinner at our place tonight,” Queenie said tactfully, giving her sister a knowing look. “Give you and Newt some time to…to sort things out. I’ll talk to her, don’t worry.”

Wren had seemed rather puzzled as to why she was suddenly having dinner with the Kowalskis but didn’t argue; in fact, she seemed rather pleased to be going to their house – especially when her aunt mentioned that there’d be strudel for dessert. She waved goodbye to her parents happily as she left with Queenie and the other children, her voice clear and excitable as she chattered down the path.

Once she had gone, Tina placed a hand on her husband’s arm and took a deep breath; she smile she had put on had faded. “Newt…”

“Can we talk about this in the case?” Newt asked quickly, not meeting her eye. “I’d feel far more comfortable if we talked about it down there.”

It was a reasonable request – and she had expected nothing less really. “Yes, of course.”

The artificial light in the case was already starting to set, perhaps reflecting the autumn outside in the real world, and the two made to sit down to watch it on the grass near the Occamy nest. Surrounded by the chirping and grazing of their creatures, Newt relaxed visibly and looked down at the floor in thought; she didn’t push him, waiting instead for him to feel ready to speak.

Finally, after a good few minutes, he inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me today.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Tina muttered, and her hand was on his arm again. “It’s alright – just talk to me about it.”

He swallowed, shoulders drooping with defeat. “They were playing…Wren and Eli…Queenie, she wanted to get home so I said that I’d get Eli for her…I walked in and she was on a chair, just standing there and giggling – she saw me and asked me to…to catch her.” He closed his eyes. “She looks so much like you, Tina, that for a moment I forgot where I was…for a moment I was in that Death Cell with that death potion, and you were there panicking – you were about to die, and you needed me to catch you.”

“And you did catch me,” She reminded him softly. “You caught me and I’ve never forgotten it.”

“But what if I hadn’t?” Newt questioned, looking terrified by the prospect. “I used to have such awful dreams…what if Pickett hadn’t been in my pocket? Or if I hadn’t had the Swooping Evil in my sleeve?” He sighed heavily. “I know, it’s silly to dwell on the past… But there was a moment, Tina, where I looked at Wren and saw you instead – and then it _was_ her. _She_ was the one standing on the chair, and she was _petrified_ …she was _screaming_ for help…”

“That won’t be her,” His wife said firmly, though her face was nothing but understanding. “She’ll never be in that Death Cell, _never_.”

He looked away, down at his hands. “I know, I know, I’m being rather silly…but sometimes I wonder, Tina, if perhaps…perhaps I _can’t_ protect her. She expects me to protect her, expects me to know what to do if things go wrong – I’m her _father_ – but what if I can’t?”

Tina was silent for a moment, considering his words; when she spoke, her voice was quiet. “We won’t be able to protect them forever; children get hurt sometimes, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” She paused, shoulders drooping somewhat. “You’re not the only one who worries about her, Newt. She’s so much like Queenie – she has her spirit, and she’s so bubbly and bright… I know that she looks nothing like her, but sometimes I look at Wren and remember Queenie. I remember how I did my best to look after her, did my best to make sure that she was protected and safe…the world isn’t kind to orphans.”

Newt was stunned by this admission, but his mind was starting to understand just what she was talking about: somehow, they had managed to start and raise a family through two wars, wizarding and muggle, manging further to keep their family intact. However, there had always been the threat looming of what might happen to the children should anything happen to himself or Tina – neither of their occupations were risk-free by any stretch of the imagination, and the thought made a chill run down his spine.

“I used to look at her when she was a baby,” His wife continued carefully. “I used to look at her and wonder what would happen to her – to all of them – if either or both of us were hurt…or _worse_.”

“They’d have Queenie and Jacob,” He stated without hesitating – he was certain that this would be the case. “You and I both know that they’d make room for the children if need be, even with their own brood to concern themselves with.”

They both knew that this was the truth; Jacob and Queenie would never allow their nephews and nieces to suffer, would never let them starve or freeze – they would take in the Scamander children within a heartbeat, if the need _did_ occur. It offered some slight comfort – not a great deal, but some.

After a few minutes of sitting side-by-side silently, Tina’s hand sought his own; Newt linked their fingers together, pressing their palms close. “We can’t protect them from everything,” He heard her tell him softly. “But I can promise you right now, Newt, that she won’t _ever_ be in that _awful_ Death Cell.”

“No,” He admitted, feeling more foolish than ever now. “I know…it’s not even _here_ , it’s in America. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” She muttered, and she was resting her head on his shoulder. “We’ve both got our fair share of scars…not all of them are physical, but they’re still there.” She inhaled deeply, eyes gazing at the Fwooper nearby as it shook out its wings and shrieked. “We can’t pretend that dreadful things won’t happen…the world can be a terrible place. But we _can_ make sure she knows she’s not alone in it – that none of them are alone; they’ve got us, and Jacob and Queenie, and each other to help them.”

Newt released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding as he leaned into her. “Of course. Absolutely.” He hesitated for a few seconds, debating whether he needed to say it. “Thank you, Tina… If ever there’s been someone to put some sense into me, it’s you.”

“It goes both ways,” Tina murmured, squeezing his hand. “They’ll be okay: all four of them will. There’s no point in worrying – as you’d say, it only means you suffer twice.”

He couldn’t help the weak half-smile that turned his lips upwards; even now, he found himself thinking about how he really had gotten so incredibly, unbelievably lucky in marrying her.

* * *

It was just before midnight when the half-shut door slowly creaked to open all of the way; both Newt and Tina, sitting in the dim light of a lamp, both turned their gazes to see who or what had caused the door to open. To their surprise, Wren was standing in the doorway, looking rather unsure and cautious.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Tina muttered, though she wasn’t angry; their daughter had been _exhausted_ upon returning from Jacob and Queenie’s that evening, and she had immediately gone straight to bed.

“I know,” Wren said quietly, tugging at the tie on her dressing gown – pink and a birthday gift from Queenie – as she lowered her head. “I…I couldn’t sleep. I could hear you talking…hear you _thinking_ , and I wanted to ask you – both of you – about something, but…but I didn’t want to upset you.”

Newt frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’d upset us in any way… Come on, come and sit with us, and we’ll see if we can answer whatever’s on your mind.”

Their daughter clambered up onto the bed to sit between them; she was silent for a short time, avoiding their gazes as she tried to decide on how best to voice her feelings. She knew that they wouldn’t be angry, but all the same…

“This afternoon,” She started uncertainly, struggling to find the words to express how she was feeling. “You were thinking about some stuff, Daddy; about Mummy, and this chair, and this black stuff.”

Newt was silent for a moment, shoulders sinking ever so slightly. “Yes, I was thinking about that. I’m sorry that you had to see something like that.”

“It was scary,” She muttered quietly. “ _You_ were scared, Daddy, when you thought about Mummy…I didn’t like it.” She paused, now looking to her mother worriedly. “You were _crying_ , Mummy…you were going to be _hurt_. You…You were in _trouble_ …the black stuff…”

She was starting to look rather distraught now, both by the conversation and by the thoughts she was talking about; Tina found herself wrapping an arm around Wren’s shoulders, holding her tight to herself. This conversation was bringing up frightening memories, but she knew she had to keep them away from her daughter – the last thing they needed was to upset her more. “Wren…”

“It was _real_ , wasn’t it?” The five-year-old asked tearfully, though she already knew it was true. “It wasn’t a…a bad dream like the one I had about the monsters…it _really_ happened.”

There was no point in lying: their daughter would know immediately. “Yes, that’s true,” Newt admitted. “It did happen, I’m afraid.”

“You nearly _died_ , Mummy,” Wren sniffled, absolutely _horrified_ as her fingers started to cling to her mother’s pyjama shirt. “You _really_ nearly died!”

“Yes – but I _didn’t_ die,” Tina reassured her hurriedly, giving her a tight squeeze. “I’m right here, remember? I’m still very much alive because your Daddy saved me; he caught me when I jumped, and I’m alive.”

“And it was a very long time ago,” Newt added, placing a hand on their daughter’s back; she raised her eyes to look at him. “It was before your mother and I even got married – _long_ before you children were born, at any rate.”

For a moment their daughter just frowned, clearly still very unsure. “If it’s okay now, then why are you still thinking about it? It was _years_ ago, so…so why did you think about it?”

“Well…” The Magizoologist hesitated: how to describe the idea of _trauma_ to a five-year-old? “The thing is that sometimes, when awful things happen, it can be rather difficult to forget…they can stay in your mind for a very long time because they’re so strong.”

Wren was still looking somewhat confused, and so Tina cleared her throat to speak. “It’s like… You know how we went swimming at the beach last Summer?” Their daughter nodded. “And do you remember how you asked about the marks on me and Daddy?”

“They’re _scars_ ,” She recalled.

“Yeah, exactly. Well…it’s kinda like that,” Tina explained carefully. “Do you remember that we told you that they didn’t hurt anymore? They’ve healed, but they’ve left marks – scars – that can sometimes bother us.”

“Uh-huh,” Wren agreed, her eyebrows furrowing a tad. “So…do you have scars from that black stuff too?”

Her mother hesitated. “Not _exactly_. Sometimes things that hurt us don’t leave actual scars, not ones that you can see – sometimes bad stuff, like memories or events, can still leave something behind that hurts, even if you can’t see it. Does that make sense?”

“I _think_ so,” The five-year-old said slowly. “It hurts but not on the outside – it’s on the inside…like when you’re angry or upset or scared?”

“Yes, exactly,” Newt acknowledged. “That’s why some memories are more painful than others – in fact, I’m sure you could say that certain memories are just like scars.” He paused before continuing, and when he spoke again he was quieter. “However, it doesn’t mean that they ruin things forever – not at all. You learn to accept it and it becomes less painful, and when it does then you go on with life.”

Wren started to nod, mind working hard to keep up – even being able to read his mind, she was struggling somewhat. “I think I understand. It was a _scary_ thing that happened, so it’s something that hurts…but it hurt less after a while, and now you and Mummy are happy?”

“We’re very happy,” Tina assured her, and she was smiling softly. “As much as all of the bad experiences hurt, it’s nothing compared to the _good_ things.”

The little girl suddenly started to beam as she caught a glimpse of the memories her mother was referring to. “You and Daddy getting married, and…and us being born! Those _are_ nice!”

“Those are all _wonderful_ things,” Newt agreed fondly, and he knew that she was looking through his thoughts too. “We wouldn’t trade those for anything in the world…you see, I think you’ll find, Wren, that the good in this world really does outweigh the bad.”

It was clear that she was relieved; sifting through her father’s thoughts, she could see that he was telling the truth. Knowing – not just _hoping_ , but _knowing_ – that the happy memories of family and love were far greater and stronger than any misfortune they had faced made her feel calmer. She found herself relaxing between them, finally feeling comforted.

With all of this in mind, Wren gave a small yawn and started to blink tiredly. “I don’t wanna go back to bed,” She confessed, somewhat sheepishly. “Can I…just for one night…stay with you?”

Her parents only had to share a look – the answer was immediately obvious.

“Alright,” Tina acquiesced, shuffling to make some room between herself and her husband. “Just for tonight.”

Once the lights were dimmed and all three of them were settled underneath the duvet comfortably, two small hands reached out, one for her mother’s own hand and one for her father’s. There was a silence in the air as she registered their ease, their love and affection for her, and she found herself feeling completely content as she closed her eyes.

It took just a few minutes before she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep; in the dark, Tina was sending her husband a rather tired smile. “See? She’ll be fine - she’s got us, no matter what happens.”

Newt couldn’t help but grin back at her before looking down at their daughter, nestled between them; she was curled towards him, her small fist barely touching his chest. “Yes…and we’ve got each other too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, sorry for the delay but my depression and stuff got a bit severe and shit happened so… :/ I was hoping to finish it sooner so that I could start a new fic but it looks like I won’t be posting anything until next week now because on Saturday night I’m going to take my dad to see Covenant, and then all-day Sunday I’m at Comic-Con. 
> 
> But, yeah, I hope that you all enjoyed this or, you know, enjoyed it somewhat at least! Feedback, as always, is love!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave feedback! :) Follow me @newt-loves-tina on tumblr!
> 
> Like what I post? Why don't you check out [my Ko-fi page](https://www.ko-fi.com/meganwalsh)?


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